


Date

by noxsoulmate



Series: Hookup ~ Wingman ~ Date [3]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Anniversary, Closure, Engagement, Established Castiel/Dean Winchester, Established Relationship, Fluff, Happy Ending, Kiss cam, M/M, Michael is still a cheating asshole, Revenge, SPN AU Big Bang 2017, kind of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-23
Updated: 2017-12-23
Packaged: 2019-02-19 07:50:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,896
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13119327
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/noxsoulmate/pseuds/noxsoulmate
Summary: Date night is possibly the worst time to run into an ex-boyfriend – especially when the breakup was as nasty as Cas and Michael’s. Except, when Dean has a surprise in store for him, Cas might just see that it’s exactly the right time.





	Date

**Author's Note:**

> Here it is, the conclusion of the _Hookup ~ Wingman ~ Date_ series :D hope you'll like it
> 
> This is my second entry for the [SPN AU Big Bang](http://spn-au-big-bang.tumblr.com/) and once again, I was blessed with an amazing artist <3 [pimentogirl](https://pimentogirl.tumblr.com/), thank you so much for your art, it's so beautiful: [cover](https://pimentogirl.tumblr.com/post/168892814019/date), [pic 1](https://i.imgur.com/FkqSlc5.jpg), [pic 2](https://i.imgur.com/XuPrwzQ.jpg), [pic 3](https://i.imgur.com/UoPYhX7.jpg). Also thank you so much for your patience with me ;)
> 
> For beta reading, once again a huge thanks to [rebowyer2000](http://archiveofourown.org/users/rebowyer2000/pseuds/rebowyer2000) <3  
> And also lots of love and kudos to [Emblue_Sparks](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Emblue_Sparks), who helped me with the plot because I was down a couple of words and wasn't able to hit the minimum for the challenge ^^" so the whole plot around Zar's boyfriend? You can thank her for that ;) <3
> 
> What happens during the kiss cam between Michael and Inias is based on a pretty funny video on youtube - you'll find a link to it in the story.
> 
> And now, finally: enjoy :D

 

Dean was pulling up in front of the apartment complex when his phone rang. Checking the caller ID, he picked up and got out of the car.

“Hey, Zar. Hope you’re calling with good news?”

_“Of course. I told you, my friend is a crazy bastard. I think he’ll enjoy it even more than you will.”_

Chuckling, Dean made his way to the door and got inside. “Not possible. But awesome, thanks. I owe you.”

_“Don’t mention it. All Gabriel wants for this is some candy. I don’t think I’ll fall into poverty because of that.”_

“Well, if you do, there’ll always be a couch for you in our apartment.”

_“How generous.”_

The reply was oozing with sarcasm, and Dean found himself grinning widely. Or maybe that was simply his general good mood right now. Zar’s confirmation was just the last detail in his grand scheme, everything else had already been set up. The Roadhouse was closed tonight for a private party, Eileen had texted him earlier that they had the decorations handled, and Dean had the tickets for today’s game in his pocket.

Right next to the most important little thing of the day.

Patting the pocket of his jeans, he tried to tune his grin down as he got on the elevator. “So, are we going to finally meet your new boyfriend tonight? I mean, you’re so secretive about him, we don’t even know his name.”

_“He’s not my_ boyfriend _, Winchester. It’s only been a few dates.”_

“Hey, I’m not the professor of psychology here, but your slightly aggressive undertone tells me otherwise.”

_“Oh, screw you.”_

“Nahh, that’s Cas’ job.”

_“I’m hanging up now.”_

The elevator _dinged_ when it arrived on his floor and Dean quickly moved towards the apartment’s door. Sam had moved out two years ago to move in with his girlfriend and Cas hadn’t hesitated when Dean had asked him if he wanted to move in.

“I’m home now anyway. Thanks again and see you tonight.”

_“Sure, no problem. Make that boy happy.”_

Before he could reply, Zar had hung up. Putting his phone away, Dean unlocked the door and went inside.

“Honey, I’m hooome.”

“Bedroom,” came the call back, letting Dean’s grin turn mischievous.

“Want me to join?”

He heard footsteps before an actual reply came. The moment Cas entered the hallway, Dean’s eyes were glued to him. God, his boyfriend was one sexy beast.

“If I let you join me in the bedroom, we’ll never get to wherever you’re taking me, so no,” Cas said, leaning in with the last word and giving Dean a quick peck on the lips.

Not willing to let him get away so easily, Dean caught his man just in time and pulled him close to his body, his lips ghosting over this sweet mouth he loved so damn much. “Your point?” When Cas smiled in return, Dean went for the kiss, letting it linger for a few moments. All too soon, he could feel Cas pull away, so he gave in, letting the kiss end. However, he refused to let go, keeping him in his arms and gazing into those deep blue eyes.

“Happy anniversary, Sweetheart.”

“You too, Love.”

“Ready for your surprise?”

“I better be, right? You said we needed to be ready in,” – he checked his watch over Dean’s shoulder – “ten minutes. So tell me. What is it? Where are you taking me?”

“Ten minutes? Guess that leaves me enough time for a bit more of this,” Dean replied, catching Cas’ lips once more in a deep kiss. He just loved the way Cas always melted against him, leaving not a breath of air between their bodies.

Too bad his boyfriend was also usually the responsible one.

“As much as I love this, I really don’t want to be late for whatever it is you have planned,” Cas whispered, his voice dark with arousal. One last peck on his nose, then Cas untangled himself from Dean’s grip. “So please, stop. And tell me. Please.”

“God, I love when you beg.”

“Don’t I know it,” Cas replied with a huge grin, dancing away from Dean’s wandering hands. “But honestly. You got my present this morning, so come on, _please_.”

Trying to catch him one last time, Dean finally stopped when he missed by an inch. Having mercy on his man at last, he pulled the wrapped tickets out the back pocket of his jeans and handed them over.

Eagerly, yet with a careful hand, Cas unwrapped his present, his eyes going wide and a big grin appearing on his lips. “Tickets for today’s game? Dean,” he exclaimed, almost flying into Dean’s arms to kiss him again. “You’re amazing. Thank you. Come on, let’s go.” Cas didn’t give him any time to reply or do anything other than smile over his happiness. He just took Dean’s hand, got his jacket, and then led them out the door.

 

~*~*~*~

 

They got to the Hockey arena with plenty of time. Cas couldn’t stop smiling. Since the first time they had met, there was always this one big discussion between them: Hockey or Football? While Dean liked football more than anything else, Cas preferred hockey – a fact Dean still loved to hold against him, almost four years later. At least he only meant it in a teasing manner. Mostly.

“Thank you, Dean,” Cas told him, leaning over for a kiss on Dean’s cheek. “This means a lot to me.”

Dean reached for his hand and brought it to his lips, pressing a soft kiss to the knuckles. “I know.”

They took their time to get to their places, rather enjoying the whole atmosphere. Even though it wasn’t football, Dean still liked hockey, and Cas was thrilled to see his boyfriend smile all the time. Their seats were quite good, located high enough behind the penalty boxes to have a good view over the whole rink.

“I can’t believe we’re really here,” Cas exclaimed, still busy taking it all in. “It’s been way too long since I’ve been at a game. We totally need to get season tickets sometime in the future.”

He could practically _hear_ Dean’s eyes rolling while the man put his arm around Cas’ shoulder to pull him closer. “Yeah, sure. Give him an inch and he will take a yard.”

“We could also get season tickets for football. I’d come with you.”

Dean’s soft lips were pressed against his forehead, spreading warmth all through Cas’ body. “One: that would mean we’re hardly home anymore. And two: did you win the lottery without telling me or where would you get the money for that?”

Sadly, the second part was especially true. Though it was certainly a goal they could work towards.

The game started soon and was as intense as they could have hoped for. It left them at the edge of their seats and even Dean couldn’t hold back ecstatic screams when their team scored or the yells at the referee over bad calls. A fact Cas was certainly not going to tease his man about. Nope, absolutely not.

He was still grinning during the second break when Dean went to the restrooms and Cas got in line for more refreshments. It took way too long and halfway through he thought about just ducking out. They could always get drinks once the game resumed and the lines would shrink.

Before Cas could make his final decision, however, a voice rang out next to him. A voice he’d not thought about in years, but if he had, he’d certainly hoped to never have to hear it, ever again.

“Castiel?”

Cas went stock still, a cold shiver running up and down his spine. Maybe he could have ignored the voice, but something inside of him – probably his pride – made him turn his head anyway. He had nothing to hide and it was certainly not he who should be ashamed of himself.

That was why he faced Michael head on. The man had hardly changed in the almost four years since Cas had last seen him. He wore a surprised yet pleased expression as his eyes quickly wandered up and down Cas’ body – something that brought a cold chill to Cas’ bones.

“You look good. Seems like time has treated you well.”

“Certainly better than you did.”

Instead of showing remorse or shame or anything alike, Michael chuckled. “Oh, Castiel. You’re not still hung up on that, are you?”

“No, certainly not,” Cas replied, turning back to face forward in line.

It seemed Michael wasn’t done. “So, how have you been?”

“I don’t know why that would concern you.”

“Castiel, please,” Michael said, his voice not pleading at all. “I’ve actually thought of you quite a bit over the years. I’ve missed you.”

Out of the blue, Cas felt a knuckle brushing down his arm and he had to actually look at it to make sure he wasn’t imagining things. Because this right here was ridiculous. Pulling his arm back, Cas fixed the man with a glare. “You’re actually lower than I thought. Keep your hands to yourself.”

“Oh, come on, Castiel –”

“Hey, Michael, there you are.”

Cas looked past Michael, seeing a young man with dark hair and friendly eyes. Michael was still looking at him and Cas could see the man’s demeanor – his whole stance – change, giving him the terrible sense of a déjà vu. Only that he was on the other side this time.

Once Michael had his facial expression under control, he turned around. “Inias, hey. Yeah, sorry for the holdup. I … ran into an old friend. Inias, this is Castiel,” Michael said, absolutely nonchalant. “Castiel, Inias.”

“Let me guess,” Cas said, not able to resist. “ _Work partner_ of yours?”

“No,” Inias said, chuckling. He had an open smile, radiating a friendly nature. “I’m his boyfriend. Pleased to meet you.” The guy actually stuck his hand out and Cas didn’t know what else to do but to take it. The poor guy most likely had no idea … just like Cas only four years ago.

“Yeah, likewise.”

“Where do you know Michael from?” Inias asked, and the question was so innocent, clearly curious – no suspicious undertone, no search for any indecent connection. When Michael put his arm around Inias’ waist, Cas could have almost been fooled. Had the guy not tried to feel him up just moments ago.

“I’m his ex,” Cas replied dryly and instantly, Inias smile fell a bit.

“Oh,” he breathed out, his uneasy gaze wandering between Cas and Michael. “Ehm … sorry?”

That made Cas huff out an involuntary bark of laughter. “Don’t sweat it. Not your fault. Unless … how long have you two been dating?”

“Four months,” Inias replied instantly with a bright smile, but then Cas’ words seemed to register and a frown appeared. “Wait, what do you mean?”

A little sneer found its way onto Cas’ lips without him actually wanting it to. He wasn’t a malicious person. Not under normal circumstances. “Well, Michael and I didn’t exactly part on the best terms.”

“Well, Castiel,” Michael intervened, probably suddenly realizing that it was not a good idea to introduce a new lover to a scorned and cheated on ex. “That’s all water under the bridge, now isn’t it?”

“Really?” Cas replied. Nope, not a malicious person usually, but hell, didn’t he have some kind of solidarity obligation to Inias to warn him? “Didn’t seem like it two minutes ago when you were getting in my space, trying to sweet talk me.”

“What?” Inias said, clearly shocked as he looked up at Michael.

The bastard was looking at Cas with something like rueful pity. What the fuck?

“Castiel. I’m sorry it felt like that to you. I didn’t know seeing me again would have such an effect on you.”

“Excuse me?” Cas pressed out between clenched teeth.

“See, darling,” Michael continued as he turned to Inias. “Castiel took our break-up pretty hard. I tried to be there for him as a friend, but …”

_WHAT?_

“Oh,” Inias replied, looking back at Cas with something like worry but also a bit of rebuke. “I’m sorry to hear that, Castiel. It couldn’t have been easy when Michael broke up with you. But … sorry to say this, but it still doesn’t justify saying bad things about a person.” He actually _did_ look sorry. As if he was pitying Cas.

It made it even worse and Cas was seething.

He was seething about Michael’s arrogance and audacity, but also about Inias. Who was that guy to judge when he didn’t know anything?

“Okay, one: It was me who broke up with him! Two, we broke up because I caught him with another guy in his apartment. And three: I heard him leave right after me, talking on his phone with yet _another_ lover that he’d apparently told he was in a meeting all night long. Tell me Michael – you still seeing _that_ guy as well?”

Inias was quiet for a moment, but before he could find his words, Michael spoke again, his voice oozing so much pity it almost made Cas gag. “I am _so sorry_ , Castiel. Had I known you … you’re still pining for me –”

“ _What?_ ”

“– so much so that you make up all these stories … I would have handled this run-in differently. I’m really sorry. And I’m sorry you got so resentful and full of spite over missing me.”

The only reason Michael was able to talk so long was that Cas had lost all ability to talk, his voice stuck in his throat. He had never felt so much desire to hit another person. Not even when he’d caught Michael red-handed.

But he didn’t. He certainly wouldn’t give him more ammunition for his lies.

“Thank you, Michael.” To his deep satisfaction, Michael jerked as if Cas had actually slapped him. So he went right on. “Honestly, thank you. Not that I needed the reminder how much more happy and loved I am now, but thanks anyway. And thank you for your concern, but my boyfriend and I are quite happy.”

“Boyfriend?” Michael pressed out, his eyes slightly narrowing. It was ridiculous. Was the guy seriously jealous that Cas had found someone?

That’s when the whole irony crashed down on Cas and a real smile pulled at his lips. “Yes, boyfriend. And you know what? You actually know him. Come to think of, it was _you_ that introduced Dean to me in some way.” Chuckling, Cas took a step forward. He’d already been bypassed by so many people in line, it was in vain anyway.

Way more interesting was Michael’s reaction. It seemed Dean’s name had rung a bell as the man whispered in question: “Dean?”

“Oh yes, _Dean._ Remember him?” he asked, not even trying to hide his smirk as he stared Michael down. “Remember how I surprised you? Turns out, you have a talent at picking the decent and nice guys. Those that deserve way better than you.” A muscle in Michael’s jaw ticked, yet he was silent. Cas had never known how much he’d wanted to tell this asshole all this. “But, hey, as you said,” he continued. “All water under the bridge, right? And I guess I owe you. A lot, actually. In some really weird, twisted way, I owe you for introducing me to the love of my life. So yes: Thank you.”

Before he could stop himself, he turned to Inias. The poor guy looked like he had no idea what was happening. “I don’t know you, but for your sake, I really hope you’ll wake up soon. Because like Dean put it back then –” His eyes wandered to Michael for a brief moment before going back to Inias. “Everybody deserves better than that cheating piece of shit.”

Not waiting for a reply, and immensely satisfied he’d remembered Dean’s words from all these years ago, Cas left them behind.

The irony really wasn’t lost on him and he was still musing over it while he made his way back to their seats. It all had started because of Michael. Cas had found his best friend that awful night and then friendship had turned into love.

And tonight, it was their anniversary.

Three years.

Sometimes, he still couldn’t believe it, wondering what would have happened if he hadn’t decided to surprise Michael that fateful night. Not that he ever really spent a conscious thought on that bastard. He knew Dean had in the beginning, still feeling incredibly guilty even though he couldn’t have known that he’d gone home with a taken man. The way Dean had reacted had shown that he was an honorable man and cheating was an absolute no-go for him.

When he reached their places, Dean was already back, the break coming to an end. Without hesitation, Cas sat down and gave Dean a kiss.

Dean returned it with a small smile, but it turned into a concerned frown very quickly. “You okay?”

Cas thought about it for a moment, then nodded and leaned into Dean. Michael was a pathetic little scum and Cas felt sorry for every boyfriend or even date the man would ever have. But in the end, it wasn’t Cas’ concern. He’d said his piece and now he wanted nothing more but to enjoy their anniversary and Dean’s lovely gift. The moment Dean put his arm around his shoulder, Cas grabbed his hand and held it tight, pulling the arm even tighter around himself in the process as he melted against Dean.

“Sweetheart?”

Okay, maybe he wasn’t done with it as easily as he’d wished for.

“Ran into Michael.”

“Wow, Cas. Seriously? You okay? What happened – wait, did he hurt you? Do I need to punch him?”

Laughing, Cas shook his head, yet still said, “Yes, please.” However, he refused to let Dean move an inch, hugging his arm instead and playing with his fingers. “He has a new guy, Inias. Before that guy showed up, Michael actually hit on me.”

“He _what_?” Dean almost exploded, his yell thankfully drowned out by the cheers of the fans as their team returned to the ice.

“Relax,” Cas replied, cuddling in closer to calm his boyfriend down. “That’s not the bad part.”

He told Dean what had happened with the two men and how Michael had lied and Inias had looked so lost and he could feel Dean get stiffer and stiffer, ready to explode. Turning around just enough to catch Dean’s lips, Cas pressed a soft kiss there.

“It’s okay, Dean. I don’t care. I spoke my mind and that’s as much closure as I’ll ever need with the guy. Inias seemed like a decent guy, yes. But I guess he needs to make his own mistakes.”

“Yeah, but –”

“Hey, come on. It’s our date night and the game’s starting again. Let’s forget about it.” He smiled up at Dean and stole another kiss, before settling back into Dean’s arms to watch the game. After a while, he was able to fully relax.

That was, until the next short break in the game came and the kiss cam flared back to life. It had been going around the previous two periods, but people seemed to still not get enough of it. Cas couldn’t believe his eyes when he saw the first guy captured by the heart. There was Inias and the camera caught him with a blonde woman next to him, both looking mildly confused.

“That’s him.”

“What?”

“That’s him. Inias. Michael’s new boyfriend,” Cas explained, gaze fixed on the screen as he sat up from leaning against Dean. Inias and the girl were laughing and then Inias discreetly pointed over to his other side and the camera moved a tiny bit until it now framed Inias and Michael –[ who was not paying attention, rather speaking on his phone](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSSBXPda50w). All eyes followed as Inias leaned over and apparently said something to Michael. But the man just waved him off.

“What an ass,” someone behind them said and Cas had to agree.

Poor Inias. He really felt for the guy that once again looked completely lost.

The camera moved on and all of a sudden, Cas recognized the two people staring back – because it was showing him sprawled against Dean.

 

 

Huffing out a surprised yet gleeful laugh, Cas turned just enough in Dean’s arm while his boyfriend leaned in, smiling wide as he kissed him. Cas’ eyes fell shut and he enjoyed hearing the people around them cheer. They broke their kiss, still smiling at each other and somehow, Cas’ hand had found its way into Dean’s shirt, but neither cared. Looking back up, they caught a last glimpse of themselves before the camera moved on.

Back to Inias and Michael, actually.

Inias looked flabbergasted and it took Cas only a second to realize that he must have recognized Cas. Then Inias woke up and again turned to Michael, but the ass was still on his phone, this time even saying something back to Inias as the guy tried to get his attention. And by the look on their faces, it wasn’t anything pleasant.

After that, the camera stopped and Cas needed a moment longer to realize that it was because the game was about to resume. All too soon, another break happened and right away, the camera flared back to life. A cheerful noise went through the stadium as it fixed back on Inias, who by now looked positively miserable. He once more tried to get Michael’s attention and when the ass even put his phone down simply to yell at his boyfriend, Cas was sure he could see Inias swallow heavily, possibly trying to hold back tears. Dean and Cas joined in with the rest of the stadium, booing Michael.

The camera was quick to move on, a few more couples kissed, more or less passionate. After a few more minutes of the game, the camera was back on and caught an elderly couple that was really cute. A guy holding up a sign with _My Sister_ pointing to the sexy girl next to him got a few laughs. And just like that, Cas found himself on the screen once more. Confused – he could understand why Michael and Inias were constantly shown again, but why them? They had kissed and everything had been fine – Cas needed a moment to turn to Dean.

Only to find him in a very different position than just a second ago.

Before Cas could catch up on what was going on, the stadium went crazy with screams and cheers and applause.

Because Dean was kneeling in front of Cas.

Holding up a box.

And as Cas looked at him, eyes wide and mouth open in shock, Dean simply grinned and opened the box.

“Castiel Novak, will you do me the honor –”

“ _Yes!_ ” Cas replied without hesitation, not even letting Dean finish the sentence. The people around them laughed good-naturedly, erupting in cheers along with the rest of the stadium when Cas simply leaned forward and kissed Dean, a bit more passionately this time.

 

 

Dean seemed to be able to keep them focused, because he ended the kiss soon after, instead taking the ring out of the box and slipping it on Cas’ ring finger. They kissed again as Dean got back into his chair and after looking at the ring for a few heartbeats, Cas finally realized that the whole stadium had just witnessed their engagement. Looking up, he saw that the camera was still fixed on them, so he raised his hand and showed the ring off to the camera, grinning wider than ever as he let himself be pulled back into Dean’s arms.

 

 

Finally, the camera moved on.

Back to no one else but Michael and Inias.

And this time, not only Inias looked into the camera, wide-eyed and gaping. Michael’s phone was nowhere to be seen, even though he still held his hand as if it must have been there. Had the guy seriously just dropped his phone without realizing it? The flabbergasted look on his face made that a reasonable theory. He seemed so transfixed that once more, he did not realize that it was him and Inias on the screen.

Instead of moving on, the camera zoomed out, giving the rest of the stadium a full view of the mascot coming down the stairs, grabbing a soft drink from Inias’ hand – and emptying it all over Michael’s head. The stadium went wild with cheers once more and it even grew as the mascot leaned down, picked up Inias bridal style, and then ran away and back up the stairs with him. The camera followed, showing how people along the stairs patted the mascot on the back. As he reached the top steps of the staircase, he turned around, presenting Inias like a trophy he had just stolen from an enemy. The laughter and cheers were deafening and Cas and Dean joined in before happily sinking back into their seats and their embrace.

 

~*~

 

“How did you do it?”

“What?”

“The camera. The fact that it came back.”

Dean threw him a huge grin before looking back at the road. Cas was leaning against the passenger door so he could take in the whole profile of his fiancé – his freaking _fiancé_ – while they were holding hands in the middle of the seat.

“Zar knows the guy working the camera. Gabriel something. Apparently, the guy’s a crazy bastard and was easily bribed with sweets.”

“So you’re telling me you talked with Zar about your plans to propose?”

Once again, Dean looked at him, his grin toned down a bit yet still clearly amused. “Three years later, and you’re still walking on eggshells, thinking I hate the man.”

“Well …”

Dean pulled up Cas’ hand and kissed it – a gesture they both had gotten pretty fond of and that never failed to calm Cas down and make him smile. This time, it was even better, as Dean kissed the ring.

“Zar is alright, you know I like him. I don’t harbor any ill feelings against him for pretend-dating you.”

“I know,” Cas sighed. He really did know, it was just sometimes hard to tell if their banter was a friendly one or dipping into nasty territory.

“And I let him help with the proposal. Is that still not convincing enough?”

Smiling, Cas leaned over to kiss Dean’s cheek. It really was time for him to stop worrying. “You’re right. Sorry.”

“By the way, I ask him about his _boyfriend_.”

“Ohhh, what did he say?”

“‘He’s not my _boyfriend_ , Winchester,’” Dean replied in a terrible, terrible British accent that sounded nothing like Zar – and yet somehow did. It had Cas laughing so loud he almost missed the rest. “‘It’s only been a few dates.’”

“Well, to be fair, it has only been like four or five dates.”

“That we know of,” Dean threw in.

“I think he’s just shy about it,” Cas said, sobering a bit. “It’s his first attempt in years. I guess he wants to take it slow. Be sure it’s something serious before he introduces the guy to his friends.”

“Yeah, but come on: not even a name?” Dean looked at him with a funny face, making Cas laugh once more.

“Zar has his quirks, we know that.”

Dean just shook his head, still chuckling.

They arrived at the Roadhouse a few minutes later and were welcomed by their friends the moment they opened the door. Some confetti was raining down on them and a huge banner with “Happy Engagement” written on it was hanging across the roof.

It was just a small circle, their closest friends and family. Ellen, the owner of the bar, and her daughter Jo. Dean’s brother Sam and his girlfriend Eileen. Charlie and Meg, two ladies that worked at the same bank Cas did and had become his friends pretty fast. And of course Zar.

“So, we saw the engagement. It was pretty awesome,” Charlie commented after the first ruckus and congratulations had calmed down. When Dean just looked at her in question, she continued: “This friend of Zar’s, Gabe. He sent us the clip.”

“Ohh, does that mean we can watch it again?” Cas asked, delighted.

Dean, however, chuckled slightly sardonically. “Does that mean you saw everything? Like, the other couples as well?”

“You mean the asshole that wouldn’t even look at his boyfriend?” Meg answered him, matching his smirk. “We were totally cheering for that mascot.”

“Yeah, but do you know who the asshole was?”

That got him everybody’s attention, while Cas rolled his eyes, half-heartedly admonishing him with a soft, “Dean”.

“He’s the reason Cas and I met.”

“ _What?_ ”

Of course, all them were in the know of Dean and Cas’ first meeting, so their exclamation was to be expected.

Not, however, Zar’s very strong reaction.

“ _Michael_ is your _ex_?”

“Ehm, yeah?” Cas replied, trying to remember when he’d last talked about the man that Zar would remember his name.

“The ex you told me about when we first met? The one almost cheating on you with Dean?”

“Zar, what –” Cas was at a loss for words because as far as he remembered, he’d never given Zar Michael’s name. Not even when he’d told him their story. Call it pitiful, but he had wanted to forget about Michael so much so that he wouldn’t even say his name anymore.

And that could mean only one thing.

“Zar, how do you know Michael?”

“I … what? I don’t. You –”

“No, I didn’t. I never told you his name.”

“Of course you did. How else –”

Zar was interrupted when the door opened, someone stepping inside. Right away, Ellen called out to the stranger. “Sorry, we’re closed today. Private party here.”

“Oh, yeah I know. Saw the paper on the door.” The man motioned awkwardly over his shoulder, back to the door. “I’m just ...” He didn’t finish his sentence, looking like he wanted to be everywhere but here.

Finally, Cas was able to wrap his head around the fact that, yes, indeed, he really was seeing Michael’s boyfriend standing at the entrance of the Roadhouse. “Inias?” he asked, leaving Zar for the moment. “What are you doing here?”

“Ehm, I came to … to talk –”

“Wait, you’re that guy from the kiss cam,” Jo interrupted without much sensitivity.

Inias visibly winced before nodding. “Yeah, about that.” He turned back to Cas, looking sheepishly at him. “I found out the truth about … about Michael. And I came to apologize for what I said to you.”

“How? I mean,” Cas hastened to explain his comment, “don’t get me wrong, I’m happy for you that you figured out what kind of guy Michael is. But what he did on camera … how did it tell you the truth?”

“Oh, no. Not that. We … there was a fight after the game. I got into his face about it and … when he tried to calm me down …” There were tears pooling in Inias’ eyes and even though Cas didn’t know him, he felt for the guy. Probably because he knew exactly what he was going through. “He called me by a different name. Didn’t even notice right away. I had to point it out to him and I confronted him with what you’d said earlier, and somehow … the jig was suddenly up, so to speak.” Inias looked down at his hands, awkwardly playing with his keys. Cas was sure he saw a single tear running down his cheeks. “Broke up with him right away. And … well, then I saw you in the parking lot. And I knew I needed to apologize, so I followed you here and … And I just sat in the car for a while, trying to actually get the nerve to walk in here.” There was a moment of silent, one that seemed to get too much for the man, as he quickly added. “I’m really sorry I interrupted this private moment. Just … yeah. I’m sorry. That’s all I wanted to tell you.”

He was about to turn around when Zar spoke up. “What’s the name he called you?”

The question was so weird, everybody looked at Zar as if he’d grown another head. Inias himself looked confused but answered nevertheless. “Ishim.”

“Wow,” Zar replied. He took a huge gulp of his drink before chuckling darkly. “So it seems once again, he at least had three guys at the same time.”

It took a moment for everybody to make sense of his words. With his earlier suspicion, Cas was the first to get it. “Holy shit. _Michael_? The guy you’ve been dating was Michael?”

“Well, I didn’t know he was _that_ Michael. I didn’t exactly ask about his dating history right away.”

“Zar, I’m –”

“No,” his friend interrupted right away. “No, please. Don’t do this. It was only a few dates, so surely nothing to ruin your special night over.”

“But –”

“Cas, I mean it. Go. Dance with your fiancé. We can talk about this later.” Before Cas could protest once more, Zar looked past him and toasted towards Inias. “Don’t know about you, but I’m gonna get wasted tonight. Care to join me?”

Clearly unsure, Inias’ gaze sought out Cas and Dean. The couple looked at each other for a moment, before Dean finally shrugged. “I don’t mind. Come on in.”

“I wouldn’t want to ruin your engagement party.”

“You wouldn’t,” Cas assured him as the jukebox finally came to life. It seemed Meg had enough of all the talking and wanted some music. Or she’d just listened to Zar’s words. “Trust me, I know exactly how you feel right now. Join Zar if you want to. Bitch about Michael over some whiskey. It really helps.”

“Yeah, we might even join you later,” Dean said, already pulling at Cas’ hand. “Tell you the whole story of what happened all these years ago.”

A small smile formed on Inias’ lips as he moved over to the bar. Shaking Zar’s hand he sat down, accepting the whiskey Ellen put down in front of the two men.

Cas couldn’t hear what they were saying, as he let Dean pull him on the dance floor. He knew he needed to go check on Zar soon but for one, Zar would hate himself for ruining the evening if Cas didn’t at least enjoy himself a bit first. And two … this picture looked awfully familiar.

“Is it just me,” Dean murmured into his ear. “Or is history just repeating itself?”

“Guess we’ll have to wait and see,” Cas replied, finally turning towards his fiancé.

His _fiancé_.

Smiling widely, Cas leaned in for a soft kiss, before looking over Dean’s shoulder at his hand. The ring was a silver band, simple and perfect. He loved it.

“I love you,” he whispered.

“And I love you,” Dean replied, leaning in for a soft kiss while they swayed way too slowly and softly to the upbeat music. Neither of them cared as they kept kissing and holding onto each other.

No matter how crazy their first meeting had been; no matter how long it had taken them to finally get together; no matter how not perfect their lives were – right now, in the middle of their dancing and laughing and drinking friends, everything was perfect. They finally had each other and they would never, ever give up on that.

 

**~ The End ~**


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